Chester Marcol
Encyclopedia
Czesław "Chester" Marcol (born October 24, 1949 in Opole
, Poland
) is a former American Football
Placekicker
for the Green Bay Packers
. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
in 1987.
High School in Michigan
without much knowledge of the English language. In Poland Marcol had great kicking abilities in soccer. His gym teacher discovered his talent and showed him the game of football. Marcol went on to attended Hillsdale College
, also in Michigan, where he was named NAIA All-American and holds the record for longest field goal.
in the Second Round of the 1972 NFL Draft
. He scored 128 points his rookie year, leading the league in scoring, and was named NFC Rookie of the Year and All-Pro.
He may best be known for his game-winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears
on 7 September 1980. On opening day of the 1980 NFL season
, the Packers were tied with the Bears 6-6 in overtime. A 32-yard pass from Lynn Dickey
to James Lofton
helped set up a 34-yard attempt to win the game for the Packers. Marcol's kick was blocked and came straight back to his facemask. He caught the ball and ran around the startled Bears in what appeared to be sheer fright. Marcol was able to run 25 yards into the end-zone to give the Packers a 12-6 victory.
Marcol was cut later that season by head coach Bart Starr
. Starr stated the reason he was cut was because of poor kickoffs, but Marcol said it was because of his sex, cocaine
and alcohol
addictions
. He signed with the Houston Oilers for one game when the Oilers came to Green Bay on 14 December 1980. It was determined very late that week that Oilers kicker Toni Fritsch would be unable to play. Marcol was in Green Bay, so the Oilers claimed him off waivers. He kicked one field goal and made only one of three PATs in a 22-3 Houston win. He stayed in Green Bay when the Oilers returned to Houston after the game.
. To date, Marcol must have his esophagus stretched three times a year. Marcol eventually recovered from his problems. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
in 1987.
Marcol is now a resident of the Upper Peninsula
community of Dollar Bay, Michigan
. He has a wife and three children. He suffers from health problems such as hepatitis C
and a heart condition and lives off a fixed income
.
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) is a former American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
Placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966...
in 1987.
Early years
Marcol lived in Poland until the age of fifteen, when his father committed suicide, forcing Marcol's mother to send their family to the United States. He attended Imlay CityImlay City, Michigan
Imlay City is a city in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,869 at the 2000 census and 3,597 at the 2010 census.-Education:Imlay City has five public schools and one private school...
High School in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
without much knowledge of the English language. In Poland Marcol had great kicking abilities in soccer. His gym teacher discovered his talent and showed him the game of football. Marcol went on to attended Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
, also in Michigan, where he was named NAIA All-American and holds the record for longest field goal.
NFL career
Marcol was selected by Green Bay Packers coach Dan DevineDan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
in the Second Round of the 1972 NFL Draft
1972 NFL Draft
The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. He scored 128 points his rookie year, leading the league in scoring, and was named NFC Rookie of the Year and All-Pro.
He may best be known for his game-winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on 7 September 1980. On opening day of the 1980 NFL season
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, the Packers were tied with the Bears 6-6 in overtime. A 32-yard pass from Lynn Dickey
Lynn Dickey
Clifford Lynn Dickey is a retired National Football League quarterback, who played for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers in the 1970s and 1980s.-High school:...
to James Lofton
James Lofton
James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
helped set up a 34-yard attempt to win the game for the Packers. Marcol's kick was blocked and came straight back to his facemask. He caught the ball and ran around the startled Bears in what appeared to be sheer fright. Marcol was able to run 25 yards into the end-zone to give the Packers a 12-6 victory.
Marcol was cut later that season by head coach Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
. Starr stated the reason he was cut was because of poor kickoffs, but Marcol said it was because of his sex, cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
addictions
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
. He signed with the Houston Oilers for one game when the Oilers came to Green Bay on 14 December 1980. It was determined very late that week that Oilers kicker Toni Fritsch would be unable to play. Marcol was in Green Bay, so the Oilers claimed him off waivers. He kicked one field goal and made only one of three PATs in a 22-3 Houston win. He stayed in Green Bay when the Oilers returned to Houston after the game.
Post-football years
In 1986 he attempted suicide by drinking battery acid, which damaged his esophagusEsophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
. To date, Marcol must have his esophagus stretched three times a year. Marcol eventually recovered from his problems. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966...
in 1987.
Marcol is now a resident of the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
community of Dollar Bay, Michigan
Osceola Township, Houghton County, Michigan
Osceola Township is a civil township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,908 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
. He has a wife and three children. He suffers from health problems such as hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
and a heart condition and lives off a fixed income
Fixed income
Fixed income refers to any type of investment that is not equity, which obligates the borrower/issuer to make payments on a fixed schedule, even if the number of the payments may be variable....
.